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Crises starts out with the only track released so far, titled Existential Crisis at the Cask ‘n Flagon which couldn’t be more in the styling of A Loss For Words – a punchy riff/drum combination with vocals from the rougher end of the pop punk spectrum that breaks out into a massive catchy chorus.

The momentum moves well into I Feel An Army In My Fist, which involves emo influences to create the melodic hardcore/pop punk cross that the band have created through the years. The vocals here are rough with more shouted/screamed backing vocals and power chord rhythm guitars keeping the whole tune in check. It provides the real kick-off point of Crises and pushes the energy right up to change the tracks following from becoming one of their good albums to perhaps their best.

In Your Company is a standout track, not only for its quality but for its style that is so different from the rest of the pieces on Crises. For the first three minutes, there are just vocals over a quick acoustic guitar part that keeps the pace of the song right up. The address to someone special allows the lyrics to dig deep yet the pace keeps it light and the breaking into full band means the words get a different feel to them despite keeping the same melodies and tempo.

Another standout is Boston’s Wayward Son (Exit 16B) which is both a comment on how far they have come from their humble roots and how they are still fond of their home back in Massachusetts. The opening line of “lately I’ve been looking back to where I fell off-track” sets the tone instantly for the song – a light-hearted view of the past while being serious about the present. The instrumentals throughout are also solid, with a soaring chorus and clever scale leads throughout.

Lyrically, the record is very diverse. It goes from themes of change, loss and home and switches between with ease. Lines like “I was a hollow shell of my former self, and I missed her so much I felt physically ill” from In Your Company show how they can manipulate word sounds however they like to fit the instrumental below it – a regular sign of good songwriting.

Overall, an album that sums up the music of A Loss For Words in the space of a 45-minute period. As final albums for bands go, this one is one of the finest not only for its nostalgic feel but also its ability to be a fantastic standalone album. A fitting end to a fitting career for one of the most downright awesome pop punk bands this century, a band that has left many people including the Musicology Team at A Loss For Words. They will be sorely missed.

Panic! At The Disco have just released the latest video from the Death of a Bachelor era, and this one is really quite dark! It’s called LA Devotee which was the third track from the album before its January release, and the video features a lot of skulls and child-snatching so keep an eye out for anything suspicious…

Ocala’s best export A Day To Remember were clearly knocked by the situation with Victory Records and had visibly lost their way with a far softer 2013 effort Common Courtesy. 2016 seems to be their year though, and Bad Vibrations shows the five-piece clearly have their mojo back.

First single Paranoia was a shock for most people when it premiered on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 show earlier in the year and it was clear from then on that any upcoming album was going to be going hard. They even lied then that this album would exist, before the release of second single Bad Vibrations which solidified the album identity in the minds of the fanbase.

In keeping with their old styling, We Got This sounds just like a natural progression from (Attack Of The Killer B-Sides opening track) Right Where You Want Me To Be with the styling and writing and could have come from the middle of Common Courtesy with it’s pop hook and laid-back feel. This is furthered on Same About You, though that has a radio rock section with one of the most dynamic guitar solo pieces ADTR have done through recent years.

Arguably the best track on the record comes in the form of Naivety, as it displays the melodic powers of the band as they blast through emotive lyrics with aplomb. The track has a solid chugging rhythm & bass and the drums are cymbal heavy but mixed with lowered levels of them to keep the track grounded in the gritty lyrical content and roughness. The other contestant for the title is the fourth track Exposed, which is start to finish a rough and ready rock song with a huge heavy riff and no solo clean vocals whatsoever, not to mention an absolutely gargantuan breakdown. If the chorus was not there with the huge gang vocal it could have been any old band who wrote it, yet this band’s styling on their tracks combines the sections in a way only they can.

Stylistically, the seventh full-length instalment into the A Day To Remember catalogue is very much reminiscent of 2009’s Homesick in that it juxtaposes the heaviness the band can put together with catchy pop punk hooks that provide real stickability in the listeners’ mind. The band seem far more comfortable in this style now having taken a break from it to make some more pop punk-focussed tracks on Common Courtesy.

As a direct result of that style returning to tradition leads to the vocal style reverting to the old growling/distortion/clean combination that frontman Jeremy McKinnon has mastered over his years with the band. Each track has different ratios of the three types of vocal displayed and the balance is used to effectively cover the lyrical material.

Overall then, A Day To Remember have made a serious statement coming back with Bad Vibrations. It will forever act as the biggest “screw you” to a label of any modern band as it plays the role of being the first planned record on their own label. There isn’t a bad track on the whole record and it will be interesting to see how these new songs fare on the road.

Alt-pop band A Story Told are an emotionally driven, irresistibly catchy 5-piece who have come back out with their debut full-length Keep Watch.

Their debut full-length is a 10-track effort that struts along the intersection of pop and rock with similarities to The Dangerous Summer and PVRIS. From the debut, the band have unveiled their latest music video release of All of You today. The track details personal strife within a relationship, the moment it goes toxic and when one person can’t give their whole heart then falls out of love. The band explains: “everyone wants to love and be loved and knowing you aren’t receiving 100% of that persona’s efforts takes a mental and physical toll on you.”

Capsize are making huge waves with their upcoming material, and the new track they have released is no different. Featuring Brendan Murphy from Counterparts, the energetic new track Tear Me Apart has been released alongside its video.

Vocalist Daniel Wand says: “This one goes out to anyone that has ever felt doubted or discouraged by their family or friends, while trying to pursue something that means everything to them. For this album, I wanted to write lyrics that I felt like I needed to hear, or would have liked to have heard at certain times in my life that I have only just recently worked through enough to put into words. The title represents what the album does for the band, and me personally. It’s a reintroduction of who we are as a band, in reference to the things that have led to this point in my life.”

The album is titled A Reintroduction: The Essence Of All That Surrounds Meand will be released on 22nd July via Rude Records. Preorders available here for vinyl and here for digital.

KING 810 have released the last video from Memoirs Of A Murderer as they prepare to move forth and release new music.

The video is a collection of artwork and photographs from the band’s dedicated fan base known as ‘The Family’. The clip serves as a photo book, looking back on how the band and the community that surrounds them grew together over the years.

The next instalment into their catalogue will be released later this year, but stay tuned for more info soon…

Alt-punk band A Work Of Fiction have released their new single, entitled Falling to the Rhythm from their upcoming EP Write Your Own Story which is due to come out at some point this year.

Frontman Matt Deulley said: “Falling to the Rhythm is a realization of one’s need to continue to live, despite the struggles of purpose and time maintenance. Deciding who you want to be in this life is not always an easy feat, and doing so before you die seems as daunting a task as any. But, we all have to choose sooner or later what it means to be an individual; to find worth in the simple influence we have over the people and circumstances in our lives.”

Workington band Stand Up Arcade are pretty new to the scene, but you’d never guess it from this release.

A Guide To Starting Over follows up from June 2015’s Sunsets & Silhouettes and is a solid 4 tracks of modern emo/pop punk mania. First track Nothing Says ‘I Trust You’ Like A Stakeout In My Car really sets the tone for the record, even before listening with the classic emo titling. The guitar work is solid and vocals are catchy with the stay if you want to, but I’m betting I’ll be better without you chorus is as good as any early 2000s pop punk track ever was. Second track Mindset is a quicker, more punchy track with harder hit drums and fragmented guitars that give a real sense of the broken and battered I won’t be stuck in here forever, I want my way out lyrics that play over the top. Third track Save Me would fit into an As It Is album immaculately and that’s testament to the frankly fantastic writing of this track, more so than any of the other 9 they have released; the tempo is slower, the drums are kick-heavy, the guitars and bass are energetic throughout including a well-put-together solo, and the vocals are controlled to begin with and then rip through the choruses with a grit through the highs. Final track Whatever Happened, Happened was the first single from the EP, and features another engaging opening and doesn’t let go once you’re hooked. Overlapping and layered vocals are the star of this track, with a dynamic guitar part keeping the pace up along with the cymbal-heavy drums to give a perfect close for the 4-track release.

Overall, this is a great work of pop punk class and there is no doubt the band could go far given the right exposure. The EP isn’t perfect, but it is a cracker for any fans of Real Friends, As It Is or New Found Glory, as is their first release.